Paeonia Off

The common garden peony, whose root gives a homoeopathic remedy traditionally linked with painful piles, fissures and itching around the anus.

Paeonia officinalis, the common peony, is a herbaceous perennial of the peony family from the mountains of southern Europe. It has deeply divided leaves and large, bowl-shaped flowers of deep pink or red in late spring. It was grown as a medicinal plant long before it became a garden favourite.

Homoeopathy prepares the remedy from the fresh root. Classic texts say its rectal and anal symptoms matter most: piles, cracks and sores around the anus, with itching, swelling and severe burning pain during and after stool. It is also used for slow-to-mend sores on the lower body, such as pressure sores.

• Piles
• Anal fissure
• Anal itching
• Pressure sores